Nedra Talley Ross, the last surviving member of the 1960s pop group the Ronettes, has died at the age of 80. Her daughter, Nedra K Ross, announced the news on social media, stating that she died at home on Sunday morning, “safe in her own bed with her family close”.
Born in Manhattan in 1946, Talley Ross formed the Ronettes with her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett. They rose to fame after a cold call to producer Phil Spector led to their first big hit, Be My Baby, in 1963, which also reached the UK top five. Other hits included Walking in the Rain, Baby, I Love You, and Do I Love You?. Their song Be My Baby was famously used in films such as Mean Streets and Dirty Dancing.
The Ronettes toured with the Rolling Stones in 1964, with Keith Richards later saying, “They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound. They touched my heart right there and then and they touch it still.” They also supported the Beatles on their final US tour in 1966. The group split in 1967, partly due to Talley Ross's spiritual awakening and her desire for a family life.
After the Ronettes disbanded, Talley Ross married DJ Scott Ross, released a Christian contemporary solo album in 1978, and later worked in real estate. In later years, she and Estelle Bennett pursued a legal battle against Phil Spector over unpaid royalties, claiming they had earned less than $15,000 from their hits. A New York court ruled mostly in Spector's favour in 2002.
The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Talley Ross is survived by her husband and children.
